1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle seat which is provided with a container holder which holds a container, such as a can, a PET bottle, a cup or the like for drinks.
2. Description of Related Art
The interior of a vehicle or the like is provided with a container holder which is the so-called cup holder for holding a can or the like for drinks. The container holder comprises a base member extending vertically and a saucer member for holding a bottom surface of the container. A base edge portion of the saucer member is connected to a hinge which is disposed to a front surface of a lower edge portion of the base member, so that the saucer member is turnable up and down on the hinge. When the saucer member is housed, the saucer member is approximately parallel to the base member and disposed in the standing position. On the other hand, when the passenger or occupant opens and levels off the saucer member in order to use the container holder, a first stopper which is provided to the saucer member is brought into contact with a second stopper which is integrally formed with the base member. Thereby, the saucer member is maintained in an approximately horizontal position.
When the saucer member is disposed in the horizontal position, if the passenger pushes the saucer member in the direction of turning downward the saucer member by accident, an excessive load is applied to the first stopper, the second stopper or the hinge, thereby the first stopper, the second stopper or the hinge breaks. For handling such a problem, when the first stopper or the second stopper is made to have flexibility, even if the excessive load is applied to the saucer member in the direction of turning downward, the first stopper or the second stopper bends, releasing the contact between the first stopper and the second stopper. Accordingly, the saucer member turns downward beyond the horizontal position, so that the breakage of the first stopper, the second stopper or the hinge is prevented. The container holder having the above-described structure may be attached to a side portion of a seat on which the passenger sits. In this case, when the saucer member is held in the standing position, since the saucer member is approximately parallel to the base member, there is a gap between the base member and the saucer member at a lower portion of the container holder. That is, because the hinge is viewed from under the container holder, and because there is the gap between the base member and the saucer member, they may cause disfigurement of the seat as a whole. Then, if a cover or the like is attached to the side portion of the seat in order to cover the lower portion of the container holder, the cover interferes with the downward turning of the saucer member.
The present invention was developed in view of the above-described problems. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat that has a container holder which is not broken even if a saucer member turns downward beyond a horizontal position by an accidental load, and that is not disfigured.
In order to accomplish the above-described object, in one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle seat having a container holder comprises a container holder and a seat body. The container holder comprises a base member extending vertically, and a saucer member which is turnable up and down, of which a base edge portion is supported to a lower portion of a front surface of the base member. The container holder also comprises a first engaging portion provided to the saucer member, and a second engaging portion which is attached to the base member and which holds the saucer member in a horizontal position which is approximately horizontal by engaging with the first engaging portion. A container can be placed on the saucer member when the saucer member is held in the horizontal position. When at least one of the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion bends, engagement between the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion is released, so that the saucer member turns downward. The seat body is mounted on a floor of an interior of a vehicle. The base member is attached to the seat body in a side portion thereof. The seat body is provided with a projection on a side cover of the seat body. The projection projects below a bearing between the base member and the saucer member. The saucer member is set such that a downward turning of the saucer member is stopped when the saucer member turns downward beyond the horizontal position and another edge portion of the saucer member is brought into contact with the floor. Further, the projection has a shape along a surface of the saucer member when another edge portion of the saucer member abuts with the floor.
For example, a distance between the floor and the container holder (or between the floor and the base member), which is a distance in the vertical direction, may be set so that another edge portion of the saucer member will be brought into contact with the floor when the saucer member turns downward beyond the horizontal position. A distance between the floor and the bearing (that is, the base edge portion) of the saucer member, or a distance between the base edge portion and another edge portion of the saucer member may be set instead of the distance between the floor and the container holder.
According to the vehicle seat, the first engaging portion engages with the second engaging portion, thereby the saucer member is maintained in the horizontal position. Thus, the container can be placed on the saucer member. When the saucer member which is held in the horizontal position receives an excessive load in the direction of downward turning because of, for example, carelessness of the passenger, at least one of the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion bends. Thus, the engagement between the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion is released, so that the saucer member can turn downward further. Accordingly, the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion do not receive the excessive shearing force, so that the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are not broken.
When the saucer member turns downward beyond the horizontal position, another edge portion of the saucer member is brought into contact with the floor of the interior, so that the turn of the saucer member is stopped. Thus, the angle of downward turning of the saucer member becomes small, and the projection can project to the lower side of the bearing of the saucer member. That is, the projection covers the space between the saucer member and the base member from the lower side. Accordingly, since the projection covers the bearing of the saucer member, it does not cause disfigurement of the vehicle seat with container holder. Therefore, the appearance and merchantability of the vehicle seat having container holder is improved, and the touch with the hand, finger or the like of the passenger or the like on the bearing of the saucer member is prevented. Further, in case the saucer member turns downward beyond the horizontal position, the floor of the interior receives another edge portion of the saucer member. When the saucer member abuts with the floor, the projection follows the front surface of the saucer member. Thus, the saucer member is not hit against the projection with great force, suppressing the hurts of the projection and the saucer member. The breakage of the projection and the saucer member can also be suppressed.
In the vehicle seat having a container holder, an angle of turn of the saucer member from the horizontal position of the saucer member to a position of the saucer member when the another edge portion of the saucer member is brought into contact with the floor is smaller than 90 degrees.
According to the vehicle seat having a container holder, the angle of turn of the saucer member between the horizontal position to a position when the another edge portion of the saucer member abuts with the floor is smaller than 90 degrees. Thus, the projection covers larger area of the bearing of the saucer member and covers larger area of the space between the saucer member and the base member from the lower side. Therefore, the appearance and merchantability of the vehicle seat having container holder is improved.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle seat having a container holder comprises a container holder and a seat body. The container holder comprises a base member extending vertically, and a saucer member which is turnable up and down, of which a base edge portion is supported to a lower portion of the base member. A container can be placed on the saucer member when the saucer member is held in a horizontal position. The saucer member is capable of turning downward from the horizontal position. The seat body is mounted on a floor of an interior of a vehicle. The base member is attached to the seat body in a side portion thereof. The seat body is provided with a projection on a side cover of the seat body. The projection projects below a bearing between the base member and the saucer member. The saucer member is set such that a downward turning of the saucer member is stopped when the saucer member turns downward beyond the horizontal position and another edge portion of the saucer member is brought into contact with the floor. The projection has a shape along a surface of the saucer member when another edge portion of the saucer member abuts with the floor.